Abstract:

Previous research on background music in television commercials has
demonstrated the fact that background music can affect the attitudes held about an ad. Several studies of the effects of background music in other settings (film soundtracks, store ambiance) have shown that background music can also affect belief structures by activating music relevant schemas. This study investigates the possibility that music can
perform this function in television advertising. Furthermore, we examine how different levels of involvement with the advertisement, and different levels of familiarity of the
music will affect the way relevant schema are activated and beliefs are formed. Subjects were shown three ads, each paired with a different type of music (familiar, unfamiliar, or none) embedded in a half hour sit-com. After watching the entire program subjects were asked to recall the main selling points of the ads, items in the ads, and the mood of the main characters in the ad, as well as completing a series of bipolar adjective ratings about the ads. Half of the subjects were told to attend to the commercials presented, and half were told to attend to the sit-com in which they were embedded. Results showed that music and involvement level do affect belief formation. Results were not consistent across all three ads, however, revealing that music and involvement level have differing effects depending on the specifics of the advertisements presented.